Ten *ow Jews* NEWS Friday, Septssober 25, 1970-11 Boris Smolar's 'Between You and Me' ... t (Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA) (Copyright 1970, JTA Inc.) EYES ON ISRAEL: These are extraordinary times for Israel. Leaders of more than 80 of the larger Jewish communities in the United States were therefore summoned to New York to hear highly important reports on the crucial stage in history for Israel, and to understand clearly what Israel faces, and to plan wisely American Jewish financial aid to Israel to help her meet her human needs. The assembled community leaders—who met behind closed doors— were stunned by the reports they heard. The magnitude of Israel's problem, as presented to them by persons entrusted with most secret information, came to them as a shock. This, despite the fact that many of them have been recently in Israel. There could only be one answer by them tn ,{he role which Amer- ican 'can Jewry must play in this critical time. This answer was given unanimously: Israel must get now unprecedented financial support from American Jewry. Her entire communal structure—absorption of immigrants, the education system, the welfare system, hospitals and other health services—will in 1971 depend primarily on financial aid from Jewish communities abroad, and 80 per cent of this aid must come from the Jewish community in the United States. It is no secret that the new military situation forces Israel to spend the staggering sum of more than $2,000,000 a day on defense needs. This, together with the payment of interest on foreign loans, leaves Israel very little to spend on civilian human needs. Already overbur- dened with heavy taxes, the Israelis faced recently the imposition of new additional taxes as well as compulsory participation in a state loan to be repaid many years later. These measures inevitably lead to a tightening of the belts, but they still do not solve Israel's budgetary requirements to properly meet her human needs. The solution will have to come primarily from American Jewry. • • • MORATORIUMS IN U.S.: American Jewry has been helpful in practically maintaining needy Jewish communities abroad for the last 50 years through the Joint Distribution Committee. Substantial aid to Israel came through the United Jewish Appeal. The United Jewish Appeal will, under the circumstances, find itself now even under greater obligation. It is expected from the UJA to raise in 1971 between $400,000,000 and $500,000,000. In order to visualize what this sum means, it is-suffi- cient to say that in 1967—the year of the Six-Day War, when American Jewry made the highest contributions for Israel—all American Jewish philanthropic agencies raised together a total of about • $275,000,000 for Israel's humanitarian and cultural needs. - To make the effort of the UJA easier, the Israel government now agreed that the other campaigns in the United States on behalf of Israeli institutions should not be conducted in 1971. Small exceptions will be made. A joint committee, composed of representatives of the Council of Jewish Federations, United Jewish Appeal and United Israel Appeal will be formed to coordinate the fund-raising for Israel, with a view of enabling the UJA to reach its goaL - In addition to the moratorium on all drives for Israel in this country, the question is also being raised by American Jewish com- munity leaders of declaring a one-year postponement of campaigns for capital funds. The idea is that the contributions for- new buildings. for Jewish institutions throughout the United States should be diverted to the United Jewish Appeal to meet the emergency in Israel. Parallel with the UJA campaign, the Israel government would expect American Jewry to buy $400,000,000 in Israel Bonds in 1971. This is more than twice the total of bonds bought in the critical year of 1967. In that year of heavy support for Israel, the total of Israel Bonds sold in the U.S. was $190,000,000. • • • CLARIFICATION STATEMENT: The full picture of the magnitude of Israel's needs will now be brought home to each community by the leaders who attended the urgent meeting in New York. It will emerge more powerfully when the UJA will be ready to announce its plans for the 1971 drive. In the meantime the Hebrew University—one of the Israeli insti- tutions which will be bound by the moratorium not to conduct any fund-raising in this country in 1971—has now received a generous gift of $500,000 from Jacob Blaustein, the well-known American Jewish leader and philanthropist. The university will erect a building carrying Blaustein's name. Incidentally, Blaustein has received a warm letter frOm Israel's Prime Minister Golda Meir fully endorsing the original understanding he had with former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion with regard to the relationship between Israel and Jews over the world, and especially American Jews. This understanding, known as "the 1950 Ben Gurion-Blaustein Clarification Statement," was confirmed in 1963 also by the late Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. It was reached after public statements by some Israeli leaders were resented by the American Jewish Committee and other American Jewish groups. The assertions of the Israeli leaderi created the impression that Israel considered itself the representative of the Jews throughout the world. It was feared that Israel might inter- vene in the internal affairs of American Jewry. The clarification statement given by Prime Minister Ben-Gurion to Blaustein—and endorsed now by. Mrs. Meir—makes it clear that "the Jews of the United States, as a community and as individuals, have only one political attachment and that is to the United States of America; they owe no political allegiance to Israel." The statement emphasizes that "any weakening of American Jewry, any disruption of its com- munal life, any lowering of its status, is a definite loss to Jews every- where and to Israel in particular." NY Jets Delay Game Start After Yom Kippur NEW YORK (JTA) — Owners The starting time for the night of the New York Jets professional game at Shea Stadium, pitting the football team have changed the Jets against the Miami Dolphins, game time of this season's first has been moved aheatito 8:45 p.m. home game on Oct: 10 to accom- Yom Kippur ends at about sun modate observant Jewish fans down that evening. Boukstein to Head Weizmann Institute Executive Council NEW YORK (JTA) — Maurice H. Boukstein, a member of the board of governors of the Weiz- mann Institute since- 1949, has been named chairman of the In- stitute's executive council, it was announced by Dewey D. Stone. chairman of the bord. Boukstein, a leading American attorney, succeeds Meyer Weisgal, who held the •post of chief execu- tive officer of the Weizmann In- stitute from 1947 until his retire- ment in 1969, when he was named Institute chancellor. I3oukstein's appointment and a strengthening of the executive council are part of a policy initi- ated by Dr. Albert Sabin when be became president of the Institute last January, Dr. Stone said. The plan divides responsibilities of the presidency, the board and the exe- cutive council, placing greater responsibility for the maintenance of the Institute and assuring ad- equate funds for its support on members of the board, it was ex- plained. Boukstein, who is also a vice- piesident of the American Com- mittee for the Weizmann Institute, has served as legal adviser to the Jewish Agency for Israel since 1948, and as counsel to the Con- ference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany since 1953. He was a member of the 1952 Confer- ence delegation to the Hague which El Al Steward, Wounded in Hijack Try, Goes Home LONDON (JTA)—Shlomo Vider, the 39-year-old El Al steward who was injured in the aborted attempt to hijack an El Al airliner Aug. 30, was discharged from Hillingdon County Hospital Monday and flown back to Israel with his wife under strict security Precautions. A hospital spokesman said Vider had received five bullet wounds— three in his back and limbs, one in his abdomen and one behind an ear. 'Some of the bullets were ex- tracted here, but Vider was dis- charged for further-treatment In Israel because he was anxious to return home. negotiated the agreement with West Germany on indemnification of victims of Nazism. He has since been active with the the Jewish restitution successor organization, having served as its president and chairman of its executive commit- tee. ACT Some of our brothers and their families are the innocent victims of recent plane hijackers. Let us respond to this heartless brutal- ity by helping the tiny nation against whom these unconscionable acts of terror are directed. Show your indignation by buying an Israel Bond. Buy your, "HIJACKER'S VICTIMS SYMPATHY BOND" today. BERNARD EDELMAN IN TROUBLE? ARE YOU GROUNDED? BUDGET-RENT-A-CAR Call SAVE It 30% CALL: Northland Birmingham Troy Metro. Airport Downtown Detroit 342-6545 642-8514 647-8900 941-3300 963-0982 WE RENT NEW FULLY EQUIPPED 1970 PONTIACS We honor American Express, Diners, Carte Blanche, Bank Americard, Master Charge, TWA & Budget CAR 'iv p ':.ICED C'ti STOLEN? et Load! ont a ar Rent-A-t.. 'irstesii because our rates most allow- companies recommad Budge/ ances per lifted for replacement transportation. 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